HIM System Interfacing and Interoperability
Complete a Vila Health interactive simulation in which you will research existing hospital HIM systems and determine the degree of interoperability among those systems. Then, write an executive summary, 4–6 pages in length, of your findings and recommendations for whether to invest in transitioning the existing systems to a new system.
Note: The assessments in this course build upon the work you have completed in the previous assessments. Therefore, complete the assessments in the order in which they are presented.
Health care informatics is very complex. Today’s administrator needs to be aware of the regulations, professionals, and management concepts needed to ensure successful and compliant information management. However, it is also important for health care managers to understand the infrastructure of HIM systems, which includes the hardware, software, and other important components.
This assessment provides an opportunity for you to examine the key characteristics of different HIM systems and identify the components, infrastructure, and investment needs for particular hospital HIM systems.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
· Competency 4: Evaluate health care applications and technology infrastructure.
1. Analyze the key characteristics of different HIM systems, including applications, department-specific functions, and capabilities.
1. Analyze the HIM system components, infrastructure, and investment needs of a hospital.
1. Make system integration recommendations based on HIM best practices.
. Competency 5: Articulate the characteristics and services of different types of health care organizations and their unique use of health care technology.
2. Identify the pros and cons of maintaining existing HIM systems, interfacing existing HIM systems, or replacing all systems with a single, new HIM system.
. Competency 6: Communicate effectively with diverse audiences, in an appropriate form and style, consistent with applicable organizational, professional, and scholarly standards.
3. Write clearly and concisely, using correct grammar, mechanics, and APA formatting.
Resources
Templates
Use this template for your executive summary.
. APA Style Paper Template [DOCX].
Required Resources
The following resources are required to complete the assessment.
. Vila Health: Information Systems Interfacing and Interoperability | Transcript.
5. This multimedia simulation will enable you to research the information systems at one of Vila Health’s hospitals and determine the degree of interoperability between those systems.
Suggested Resources
The resources provided here are optional. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The MHA-FP5062 Health Care Delivery: New Environments in Health Informatics Library Guide can help direct your research, and the Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.
EHR Interfacing and Interoperability
The following articles address various aspects of information exchange and HIM system interoperability which may be helpful to you as you determine whether the hospital’s systems are sufficiently interfaced and interoperable, or whether upgrades are needed to those systems.
. Boerner, D. (2015). What APIs bring to EMR/EHR interoperability. Health Management Technology, 36(10), 22.
6. Briefly discusses the potential benefits of API (Application Program Interfaces) with respect to information exchange.
. Terry, K. (2017). Still waiting: Why EHR interoperability remains an elusive goal. Medical Economics, 94(11), 14–15, 17, 36–38.
7. Discusses the current state of system interoperability in the U.S.
. Walker, D., Mora, A., Demosthenidy, M. M., Menachemi, N., & Diana, M. L. (2016). Meaningful use of EHRs among hospitals ineligible for incentives lags behind that of other hospitals, 2009–13. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 35(3), 495–501.
8. Explores the consequences of the widening gap in the adoption of EHRs between providers who are eligible for HITECH incentives and those who are not.
. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2016). Stage 3 program requirements for providers attesting to their state’s Medicaid EHR incentive program. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Stage3Medicaid_Require.html
9. Review the Stage 3 guidelines for meaningful use to better understand the incentive programs for interoperability.
Writing Resources
You are encouraged to explore the following writing resources. You can use them to improve your writing skills and as source materials for seeking answers to specific questions.
. APA Module.
. Academic Honesty & APA Style and Formatting.
. APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX].
Library Resources
. Journal and Book Locator Library Guide.
Assessment Instructions
Note: This assessment builds on your work from Assessment 1. Therefore, complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.
Preparation
In this assessment, you will once again assume the role of a mid-level administrator within the Vila Health system. You have been asked to explore options in regard to informatics at Vila Health and determine whether the main Vila Health hospital should invest in interfacing all of their current systems with the possibility of transitioning the new health system acquisitions to this new interfaced system.
A key aspect of HIM systems is to ensure that all the different components are able to “talk” to each other. Health care is a system of different specializations and fields. For example, think about a busy hospital system. Consider all the different departments, from the admissions department to the billing department to hospital-wing nursing stations, all with their own unique functions. However, to help the organization as a whole, each department needs to be well connected. For health informatics, this means interfacing and connecting each department’s IT infrastructure.
Complete the Vila Health: Systems and Stakeholders interactive simulation, linked in the Resources. Research the information systems at one of Vila Health’s hospitals, and determine whether the hospital’s systems are sufficiently interfaced and interoperable, or whether upgrades are needed to those systems.
Requirements
Write an executive summary outlining the pros and cons of investing in interfacing the current HIM systems and presenting your system interface and transition recommendations.
Note: Remember that you can submit all—or a portion of—your draft executive summary to Smarthinking for feedback, before you submit the final version for this assessment. If you plan on using this free service, be mindful of the turnaround time of 24–48 hours for receiving feedback.
Document Format and Length
Format your executive summary using APA style.
. Use the APA Style Paper Template, linked in the Required Resources. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided (linked in the Suggested Resources) to help you in writing and formatting your executive summary. Be sure to include:
16. A title page and references page. An abstract is not required.
16. A running head on all pages.
16. Appropriate section headings.
. Your executive summary should be 4–6 pages in length, not including the title page and references page.
Supporting Evidence
Use credible scholarly or professional evidence to support your conclusions.
Format all citations using APA style. Remember that an APA citation includes both the in-text citation (the author’s last name and the year of publication) and the full reference for the source.
Writing Your Executive Summary
Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your executive summary addresses each point, at a minimum. You may also want to read the HIM System Interfacing and Interoperability Scoring Guide to better understand how each criterion will be assessed.
. Analyze the key characteristics of the different HIM systems, including applications, department-specific functions, and capabilities.
18. Consider the information needed to determine whether hospital systems are sufficiently interfaced and interoperable, or whether upgrades are needed.
. Identify the HIM system components, infrastructure, and investment needs at each hospital.
19. Consider the information needed to determine whether hospital systems are sufficiently interfaced and interoperable, or whether upgrades are needed.
. Identify the pros and cons of maintaining the existing systems, interfacing the existing HIM systems, or replacing all systems with a single, new HIM system.
20. What evidence supports your assertions and conclusions?
. Make system interface recommendations based on HIM best practices.
21. What evidence supports your recommendations?
21. Best practices should be supported by current literature.
. Write clearly and concisely, using correct grammar, mechanics, and APA formatting.
22. Express your main points and conclusions coherently.
22. Proofread your writing to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on the substance of your summary.
